14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Rotorua

Lively Rotorua is the epicenter for viewing New Zealand's volcanic landscapes of seething, steaming geysers and mud pools. The low-slung town is full of geothermal activity (you'll notice the smell as soon as you arrive), which has created a moonscape of wildly-colored silica terraces and bubbling ponds on Rotorua's doorstep. The surrounding region is dotted with lakes and large tracts of native forest that make a wonderful contrast to the stark and violent landscapes of the geothermal areas. The town is also renowned as a center for Maori culture and is one of the best places in the country to see traditional Maori performances and delve into the history and heritage of the local tribes. Rotorua is also an excellent base for visiting two of New Zealand's most popular tourist attractions: the glowworm caves of Waitomo and the perfectly preserved movie set of Hobbiton, left over from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films.

1 Waimangu Volcanic Valley

Waimangu Volcanic Valley

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Rotorua is the heart of New Zealand's geothermal attractions, and Waimangu Volcanic Valley is one of the most popular places to see the seething mud and steaming silica terraces. A series of walkways allow visitors to view the smoke-filled craters and bizarre acid-yellow and lime-green terraces safely. The inferno crater is a highlight, with its huge geyser billowing into action. The trail meanders all the way to the shore of Lake Rotomahana where boat trips are offered to view more geothermal features. For history fans, the 45-minute boat loop is a must-do as the cruise takes you across the site of the famed pink and white terraces (once called the eighth wonder of the world and similar to the travertines of Pamukkale in Turkey), which were destroyed when Mount Tarawera erupted in 1886.

2 Rotorua Museum

Rotorua Museum

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Amid the tranquil Government Gardens, which lie on the shores of Lake Rotorua, is the ornate Tudor-style Old Bath House building that now contains the Rotorua Museum. Inside, a series of permanent exhibitions tell the story of Rotorua's cultural history from its pre-European era to the present. The well-collated Nga Pumanawa o Te Arawa gallery focuses on the history of the Te Arawa Maori Tribe, while the rooftop terrace (with stunning panoramas across the lake) and basement of the museum provide a look at the building's 1908 origins, when it was a famed spa resort. Fascinating ethnology exhibits span the people of the Pacific, and other galleries spotlight the social history of Rotorua and the natural surroundings.

3 Te Wairoa

Established in 1852 by a Christian missionary, Te Wairoa was envisioned as a model Maori village, which could also cater for the many foreign visitors arriving to see the famed pink and white terraces nearby. The village though, was to have a short history. On June 10, 1886, Mount Tarawera erupted followed by Lake Rotomahana exploding, covering Te Wairoa with a layer of mud up to two meters thick. Although most villagers were able to escape, 17 lives were lost. Archaeological excavations here began in the 1930s, and the site now reveals the floorplans of the original buildings. The onsite museum displays items recovered from the site during the excavations and also contains a detailed geological exhibit of the pink and white terraces, which now lie under Lake Rotomahana. A pretty walking trail leads from the archaeological site through native bush to Wairere Falls.

4 Wai-O-Tapu

Wai-O-Tapu

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More geothermal oddities await at Wai-O-Tapu, home to the Lady Knox geyser, which erupts at 10.15 am every morning with water shooting up to 20 meters in the air. This colorful area brims with volcanic activity with bubbling mud pools (formed by a collapsed mud-volcano), water pools tinted fluorescent green, and steaming terraces in shades of bright yellow and lurid orange all creating a surreal and otherworldly landscape. A series of walkways throughout the Wai-O-Tapu park allows you to traverse the area for good views of all the volcanic sights.

5 Whakarewarewa: A Maori Village

Amid the steam vents and hot pools of the Whakarewarewa geothermal area of Rotorua is the Maori village of Whakarewarewa where the Tuhourangi/Ngati Wahiao tribes welcome visitors to experience the culture and heritage of the Maori people. Hourly guided tours of the village include a performance of the Haka (and other traditional Maori songs) by the Te Pakira cultural group and a look at how the local residents use geothermal energy for cooking and heating. Those wanting to delve deeper into the rich culture of New Zealand's indigenous people can stay overnight in the village Marae (meeting house).

6 Te Puia

Te Puia

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Home to Rotorua's Pohutu Geyser, Te Puia has plenty of geothermal marvels to explore, just on the outskirts of the town center. Pohutu Geyser is the southern hemisphere's largest geyser and sprays water up to 30 meters in the air in eruptions that can last for days on end (one eruption lasted for 250 days) but are more likely to last a few minutes. Nearby is another active geyser, Te Tohu, which also has regular, although smaller, eruptions. As well as all the geyser action, there are steaming alkaline springs, which the Maori use for cooking, and bubbling mud pools in the area. When the geothermal sightseeing has finished, the Te Puia park has a kiwi house where you can see New Zealand's rare and nocturnal national bird up close. It's also home to the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where you can watch masters and students working on traditional wood and bone carvings and learn about the preservation of Maori artistry.

7 Hells Gate Geothermal Park

Hells Gate Geothermal Park

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Set amid 50 acres of steaming, boiling geothermal activity, boasting the southern hemisphere's hottest waterfall and some of the most active and violently bubbling hot mud you'll see, Hells Gate Geothermal Park lives up to its name. The Kakahi Falls were once used for bathing by Maori warriors with the plummeting water cascading over the rocks at a steady 40˚C, while the aptly named Inferno area is a steamy vision of pools and bubbling mud that heat up to 100˚C. A little less hot, and much less violent, are the neighboring Hells Gate spa facilities where you can chill out in geothermal mud baths and sulphurous hot springs.

8 Waitomo Glowworm Caves

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves are one of New Zealand's most popular sights, and for good reason. This deep limestone cave system, littered with huge stalactites, is home to hundreds of thousands of glowworms (Arachnocampa Luminosa) who illuminate the rock ceilings and walls in a spectacular display of twinkling, tiny spotlights. Boat tours (every half hour) head 250 meters into the subterranean passages of these cathedral-like caverns to witness the phenomenon. As well as the main caves, the Waitomo area has several surrounding caves for more underground adventures. Both Ruakuri Cave and Aranui Cave can be accessed on foot and allow you to observe the weird limestone formations and stalactites and stalagmites up close, while Ruakuri Cave is also the setting for black water rafting tours deep into the caverns.

9 Hobbiton

Hobbiton

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Fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Hobbit films will want to make a beeline to the small town of Matamata for a pilgrimage to the film set of Hobbiton. The entire village created for the movies directed by Peter Jackson is set on the private Alexander Farm. It has been faithfully preserved by the owners who now guide tours to the site for movie buffs seeking to revel in a slice of Middle-Earth. With the troglodyte houses of The Shire sitting snuggled into the hillside and the mill and inn standing amid rolling lush green countryside, it truly feels as if you've stepped into Tolkien's fantasy world.

10 Mount Ngongotaha Scenic Reserve

Mount Ngongotaha Scenic Reserve

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This thickly forest-clad reserve on the volcanic cone of Mount Ngongotaha (757 meters) has two excellent and easy walking trails right on the edge of Rotorua. The Nature Walk offers a short three-kilometer stroll through native bush with many information boards highlighting the native fauna along the way. The Jubilee Trail is a tougher walk and heads up to the summit on a five-kilometer hike thoroughly enclosed by the tall trees and ferns with their incredible array of green hues. A full loop can be walked by taking Mountain Road down from the summit where you'll get amazing panoramas over Lake Rotorua all the way.

11 Mokoia Island

Mokoia Island

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The sacred island of Mokoia is an important wildlife sanctuary for some of New Zealand's rare and endangered birdlife. For the local Te Arawa Maori tribe, this island sitting on Lake Rotorua is steeped in ancient myths and is the setting for the Maori love story of star-crossed lovers Hinemoa and Tutanekai. Guided tours of the island include opportunities to spot indigenous bird species such as kiwi, kokako, and saddleback and to delve into Maori culture, as local guides explain the deep significance of the island for the Maori people and also demonstrate how the Maori use the native flora for medicinal and cooking purposes.

Location: Lake Rotorua

12 Kaharoa Conservation Area

The kokako is one of New Zealand's most endangered birds, and fewer than 1,400 are thought to still live on the North Island, but the Kaharoa Conservation Area is one of the best places to hear their distinctive birdsong and spot them. The easy 1.2-kilometer Kaharoa Kokako Track (also known as Hollow's Track) is a must for nature lovers and birdwatchers who want to try to get a glimpse of the kokako in its natural habitat. The forest here, full of huge king ferns and totara trees, is also home to plenty of easily seen native birds including tuis and bellbirds.

Address: Kapukapu Road, 36 kilometers north of Rotorua

13 Tarawera Trail

Tarawera Trail

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The Tarawera Trail traverses the hilly shoreline of Lake Tarawera for 15 kilometers for panoramic views across the myriad greens of the countryside and the shimmering lake. Backpackers can set up camp at a designated camping ground along the trail, but it's also an excellent day hike to experience the rolling landscape of the lake areas around Rotorua. The trail ends at Te Rata Bay (also known as Hot Water Beach) where a natural hot spring flows into the lake and hikers can soak their feet in the hot water. A handy lake water taxi travels to and from the bay for walkers to hop on when they've finished.

Location: Lake Tarawera, 15 kilometers south of Rotorua

14 Whirinaki Forest Park

The native podocarp forest in this conservation area has made this one of the North Island's most well-loved national parks and a beacon for hikers, campers, and mountain bikers. Whirinaki Forest Park covers 55,000 hectares of biodiverse New Zealand temperate rainforest with a dense undergrowth of ferns and a high canopy of rimu, kahikatea, and totara trees. The trail network here is excellent, allowing everything from a short afternoon amble to multi-day treks. For travelers with more time, the Whirinaki Trail offers a chance to savor the full gamut of the scenery here on a two-to-five-day trek.